In a recent poll conducted by Keep America Beautiful, 9 in 10 Americans reported that they recycle regularly. While 72% of these respondents recycle at home using curbside or community bins, only 51% recycle at public spaces, and approximately 40% recycle when visiting other people or when they’re at public events.  

There is a reason for this: those that feel negatively toward recycling find that they experience anxiety and stress surrounding the concept and practice. In general, recyclers feel more confident in recycling at home, where they know the rules better and feel assured that the items they put in their recycling will actually be recycled.  

Anxiety in Younger Generations

Overall, younger people feel more confused, overwhelmed, and anxious than older people when it comes to recycling. 42% of Gen Z and Millennial respondents agreed with the statement “I get anxious trying to figure out if something is recyclable or not,” while 46% of Gen Z respondents agreed with feeling “overwhelmed and unsure about where to put items in public recycling bins.” This trend continues throughout the poll: of the 2 in 5 Americans who have skipped recycling an item for fear of doing it incorrectly, Gen Z leads the pack with 58% of these respondents.  

A Lack of Trust

While recycling education used to be straightforward and simple (“reduce, reuse, recycle!”), everything changed dramatically several years ago. Before 2018, North America used to send our much of our collected recycling materials over to China. When that agreement ended, we were responsible for our own recycling. From there, every municipality had different rules. Courses had to be modified for students, and during this time, studies and exposés came out showing that huge percentages of recyclable materials are not recycled at all.  

This lack of transparency around recycling allowed for rules to be overlooked or even unknown to recyclers. This caused many people, especially those belonging to younger generations, to become apathetic toward recycling.  

Clear, standard education surrounding recycling seemed to disappear; confusion and “wish-cycling” took its place. Older generations, who were always taught that recycling is beneficial, continued to do it. Younger generations, feeling overwhelmed by the changes, the doubts, and even the lack of convenience, slowly dropped off on their recycling habits.  

Making Changes

With smartphones being a part of our daily lives--particularly for younger generations--we’re afforded the opportunity to learn on the go. Recycle Coach allows for simple, effective recycling education. Municipalities, haulers, schools, and organizations can take advantage of waste information being easily accessible and in younger generations hands at all times.  

Recycling education can make all the difference. Knowing what you can and can’t put into the recycling bin helps keep contaminants out of the recycling stream and allows for a smoother recycling process.  

Recycle Coach provides a space for our partners to educate their residents, clients, and students. Our “What Goes Where” tool, educational resources, and waste pickup calendar allow users to learn how to recycle waste properly and become confident in their recycling knowledge.  

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